ASL: Prior to Pirates
by Isiybelle
Summary: A slight change in choice and the appearance of two fruits cause the journey of our favorite trio to veer way off course. Deciding to leave and become not-pirates before they are 17, ASL travels the four Blues for experience, friends, and escape. (In this story, ASL is romantic, btw. Basically ASL becomes pirates early and meet lots of their nakama and allies.)
1. Prologue

**Hey guys! Just a quick foreword so you can get an idea about what this is about. First off, I do NOT own One Piece, even if that would be awesome and there would be some changes (cough cough Ace lives cough cough).  
As for this story, this is going to center around ASL and their romance, yes, but there is going to be plenty of action and stoof. Basically, this is an ASL pirates story, except Luffy will be the only Captain. Whitebeard and the Revolutionaries WILL come in later, but Ace and Sabo are NOT going to join them... maybe become honorary members. Whatever. Anyway, this story will take place through the childhood of ASL until they are 17 and begin their real journey.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

The three of them stumbled in the dark in a vague direction of the tree house.

They were tired, exhausted beyond comprehension yet still somehow finding the energy to clumsily make their way back. They were cold, their bodies were faced with the chill of the night that seeped beneath their thin layers and their souls were frozen with the thought of all those who had died as a result of the fire. It had taken all Ace and Luffy had to get away from the flames, to leave the burning inferno and the screams of those not so lucky. After they had reached safety, they realized that Sabo was still in the city, no doubt horrified by what the nobles had done, were doing.

They didn't pause to think about their minor burns or their tired bodies, they simply ran towards the giant wall that separated the city from the blazes. The wall was too high for Luffy to stretch, especially since he was still unable to make good on his aim. So, they scoured the wall until they came across a place where the top was crumbled just enough for the youngest to reach, rocketing Ace with him to the other side.

It was dark, the shadows of the night hiding their small forms as they traversed the familiar streets, sneaking from one dark corner to another. That night, though, the alleyways seemed more sinister, the darkened corners more like voids. Luffy hadn't complained, though. Every now and then a small whimper would escape him, but he shushed himself almost as soon as they escaped. Ace lead him towards the gate, hoping that perhaps Sabo had escaped from his home and was maybe near the gateway. If not… they would have to search the whole night for Sabo's house.

Luckily, they found a slouched figure on the ground in front of the gate, familiar top hat carelessly tossed to the side and the form unmoving. The two of them rushed to their brother and were immensely relieved to see that he was simply unconscious not…

Sabo came to after a minute or two of constant prodding by Luffy. He'd blinked blearily at them before his eyes cleared and he sat up quickly, panic clear. Before he could start hyperventilating, Ace and Luffy had wrapped him in a tight hug, unwilling to let him go until they were sure he was safe. Once his breathes had calmed, he had returned the hug just as tightly, if not tighter.

There were no time for words. The guards could be patrolling at any moment and they had to leave as quickly as possible. They made their silent way back to the crumbled part of the wall and Luffy was able to take them back to the other side. They were careful to ignore both the light of the flames and the terrible screams emitting from within. They never lasted long anyway.

Somehow, by some miracle, the three of them made it to the tree line and into the jungle. As they entered the shaded forest and the sheer comfort it brought, it was like everything had suddenly caught up with them. Luffy collapsed once or twice and his two brothers had to help him up despite their own heaviness. Dragging their feet, a wave of utter relief washed over them at the sight of the tree house.

What was odd, though, were the two strange fruits waiting at the top of the ladder.

They half-heartedly searched for enemies, too tired to fight even if there were intruders. They had set the fruits aside, already knowing what they were.

Devil Fruits.

One of them was vaguely shaped like an apple, red-orange flaming swirls decorating it. The other was pear shaped, navy blue with golden scales. Both of them looked almost like decorations rather than foods, foods that granted immense power.

They sat them to the side, though, and focused on each other.

It was silent as they bandaged each other up, Luffy first because he was the weakest. He wore his rare frown the entire time, his eyes wet and a few tears escaping which Ace half-heartedly reprimanded him for. After Luffy came Ace who had taken the majority of the burns after beating up Bluejam to protect Luffy. He winced and hissed as Sabo bandaged him, but was silent otherwise. All Sabo had was a scrape or two and a sluggishly bleeding cut on the back of his head.

Once they were bandaged, the three of them gathered into a hug and Luffy only cried for a minute or two before he smiled again, a bright sunny thing that just made Ace and Sabo feel so much better.

"I'm glad Ace and Sabo are alright," he'd sleepily commented, worn out from everything that had happened. Sabo and Ace smiled gently at him, Ace brushing his dark bangs from his face as his youngest brother slowly drifted to sleep. Once he was out, he turned to his blond brother, his expression slightly more serious.

"Sabo… we've gotta get stronger," he scowled at the floor, "I… I can't lose you guys… I love you two."

Sabo smiled softly at this.

"I love you, too," he looked Ace in the eye, "I agree, we've got to get stronger."

 _I love Ace!_

 _W-what?! A-are you crazy?_

 _No, I love Ace and I love Sabo! Shishishishi!_

 _I… I guess I like you guys, too…_

 _Don't be an idiot, of course I love you!_

 _So, then what are we?_

 _Huh?_

 _Well, I don't think friends loved each other like that, so what are we?_

 _Married?_

 _No, you have to have rings to be married._

 _Oh! What about boyfriends?! Ace, Sabo, and Luffy!_

 _Hmmm… I've never seen more than two boyfriends, though._

 _Oh… hmmmmmmmm… Oh! What about brothers?!_

 _Brothers?_

 _Un! You can have more than one brother and they never leave you! Shishishi!_

 _Yeah… let's be brothers!_

 _Brothers!_

"We have to get stronger… for each other," Sabo looked back up at Ace whose gaze was now directed towards the Devil Fruits. It was an unconscious agreement, one that didn't need to be spoken because the answer was so obvious.

Ace grabbed the red apple and Sabo took the blue pear. They hesitated for a moment, doubt over running their minds as they thought about the consequences. Then, meeting one another's eyes, their will solidified, their determination clearing out any doubts or worries. This was for the best. They had to get stronger to protect themselves, to protect each other. They wouldn't be able to function if they lost one of them. They loved each other and while they knew it went beyond brotherly bonds they still referred to each other as siblings. They knew the truth, though.

Just the other day, back before all of this had ever happened, Luffy had snuck up and puckered his lips, giving Sabo the most childish version of a kiss there could be. Sabo had blushed brighter than a tomato while Ace pouted until Luffy gave him one of his own. It was innocent, just a child-like notion that came to be expected from Luffy, but it had proven how they felt.

They loved each other and to lose one of them would be the equivalent of an earth shattering quake.

No more hesitation, they both bit into their respective fruits, choking on the foul taste, but eating nonetheless. Once all that remained were two barren cores, they forced themselves to keep from throwing up and simply lay there, panting at the effort it took to eat such horrid things. Glancing to each other and then to Luffy, they smiled.

They didn't know what kind of devil fruits they had eaten, but it didn't matter. Now, they were stronger and could get even more so.

The two eldest shuffled over to their sleeping sibling, wrapping him up in a loving cuddle before drifting to sleep themselves, letting the past day slide off of them like water off a duck. They could not dwell on the what-if's when they needed to be concerned with the what-now's. Tomorrow, they would find out what powers they had been granted and start on their path to getting stronger, to getting better.

 **And that wraps up the Prologue! Hope you guys all liked it and I would REALLY appreciate it if you told me what you thought. I've already got several more chapters of this written and I** _ **plan**_ **to post weekly, but the schedule may become hectic. I apologize in advance.**

 **Anyway, have a fantabulous day!**


	2. Tomorrow's Revelations

**Hey guys! It's me again with this week's update. Now, before you scroll down and see how short it is and go for your torches and pitchforks, let me tell you that even though this week's update is short, next weeks is much longer! So, if you riot me then I will be unable to post the next amazing chapter! Think about it :D**

 **Anyway, I do NOT own One Piece, even though that would be awesome. So, enjoy!**

"ACE! ACE IS ON FIRE!" the youngest brother shouted in terror as the oldest suddenly caught flames. His eyes widened and he started to try and pat himself off, careful of getting burned. The fire only seemed to spread. Now, the small flame that had been on his shoulder had travelled down the length of his arm, encasing it in small flames. Luffy was shouting nonsense while Ace tried rolling on the ground in an attempt to extinguish it.

It never occurred to him that the fire wasn't hurting.

"Ace! Hey, Ace!" Sabo shouted to gain the others' attention. Once he had it, he couldn't help but laugh. Luffy was practically crying in worry while Ace was covered from head to toe in dirt, his arm burning all the while, "Ace, I think that's your devil fruit!"

Luffy and Ace blinked at Sabo for a moment, as if trying to see if he was serious or not. Blinking a second or two longer, bright smiles broke out on their faces.

"Sugoi! Ace is fire!" the rubber boy's eyes became sparkles as he awed over the elder's new powers.

"Huh, now that I think about it, it doesn't even hurt," he smirked, mentally willing his flames to shape into a ball in his hand. It took a moment as the fire was sluggish in its movement, but there was soon a flame in his hand that was vaguely shaped like a circle.

"You idiot, how could you have not noticed if it was hurting or not?" Sabo was smiling while he said it, swinging his arm to whack his brother on his head… only for the hand to go through and an intense heat to be all that he felt. Looking in surprise, he saw only fire where Ace's head was. Then it seemingly reformed and Ace was back once more.

"What was that? It felt really weird," the eldest frowned, seeming to not realize what had just happened.

"SUGOI!" Luffy squealed, jumping up and down before latching onto Ace and hugging tightly. Sabo noted that the hug actually met flesh, not fire. Testing a theory, he brought himself into the embrace, too.

He was correct in his theory. His arms wrapped around the both of them and Ace remained solid. Interesting.

"Oh! What about Sabo's powers?" Luffy asked, all serious again. Ace looked to the blond to see what he would do only for the blond to shrug.

"I'm not sure. I haven't figured it out yet," he frowned at the ground in frustration. He had assumed that figuring out what devil fruit he had eaten would be a walk in the park, but so far, it was turning out to be much more difficult.

"Maybe… maybe if you concentrate really hard, something will happen?" Ace suggested, looking thoughtful himself.

"It's worth a try," Sabo relented, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before imagining himself with the devil fruit he had eaten. He should have looked at it a little longer and all he could remember was blue and gold. He focused on the devil fruit, concentrating on whatever power it unlocked within him, but he was growing frustrated by the minute.

"Sabo."

Focus on the fruit. Focus on the fruit. Focus on the fruit.

"Sabo."

If he concentrated hard enough, something would definitely happen.

"Sabo!"

He just had to keep thinking about the fru-

"SABO!"

His eyes shot open and he looked at his brothers with a mix on shock and frustration. Couldn't they see that he was trying to focus?!

"What?!" he shouted back, unsure of the bewildered looks they were giving him, "What is it?"

"Sabo, you're…" Ace started, but his sentence drifted off.

"Sabo is a pretty dragon!" Luffy shouted in joy before running over to grab him. Looking down at himself, he saw instead of his common outfit, smooth scales of navy blue ran the length of his body, gold edging on each one.

"Woah! This is so cool!" Sabo laughed, twisting his long, snake-like body to get a good look at himself. From what he could tell, each of his legs had three sharp claws, there were two twisting horns atop his head that were gold, and a golden mane ran from his head to the tip of his tail. Overall, Luffy was right when he said he was pretty. That didn't mean it wasn't cool.

"Wow… Sabo, you're pretty awesome," Ace spoke in wonder, watching his brother twist and coil, even flying in the air at one point. Really, it was epic to see a real life dragon in front of him. It only made it all the better that said dragon was his brother.

"So, this means I'm a Zoan," Sabo spoke, concentrating on turning back into a human. He was pretty sure he was starting to get the hang of it, "Luffy is a Paramecia," said youngest was stretching his arms out to wrap several times around his brothers and overall make a knot that included Ace and Sabo, "And Ace is a Logia," Ace was being careful not to let the small fireballs he was playing with get too close to the arms Luffy was wrapping around him.

"Ace and Sabo are amazing!" Luffy laughed, his smile full of sunshine and happiness, things that his two brothers never thought they would need before he came.

"Of course we are, baka! We're your big brothers!" Ace lightly whacked his head while smiling, no doubt excited about his new powers.

"Well, I know I'm amazing, but I'm not so sure about you," Sabo laughed at Ace who in return lunged at him, prepared to start another mock fight.

"Shishishishi! I love Ace and Sabo!" It was this one sentence that made the blond and the raven pause from where they were sprawled on the ground, their chests filling with a warmth that spread to their faces as they turned red at Luffy's proclamation.

"We love you, too, baka," Ace softly replied, sweeping Luffy into a spinning hug.

"Yep, there's no one else for me than you two," Sabo chuckled, rushing the two of them once Luffy was back on the ground and causing the three of them to topple over into a pile of flailing limbs and giggles.

 **That's the end of chapter 2, technically chapter 1 since the previous chapter was a prologue. Anyway, tell me what you thought because all comments are appreciated! (Accept for stupid comments because there is a certain level of stupid one can take in one day)**

 **Bye!**


	3. 5 years and a Burning Kingdom

**Hi everyone! I'm back with the third chapter to this story! I want to thank everyone who favorites, followed, or reviewed because OMG it means a lot! I hope this chapter answers a few questions and, as you may see, this is a longer chapter! Hope everyone enjoys the fruits of my labor :D**

 **I do NOT own One Piece, though it would be awesome if I did.**

It had been five years since that fateful night they escaped the fires of Grey Terminal and consumed their devil fruits.

Devil Fruit training had overtaken much of their spare time, the determination to master their respective powers in order to defeat any who stood in the way of their single yet united goal: freedom. Before that night when the two elder brothers ate their fruits, they had a hard time understanding how Luffy could be so terrible with his fruit. He was made of rubber so why was it so hard for him to understand how to _be_ rubber? Now, though, both Ace and Sabo let their sympathies out to Luffy because they understood.

Eating a devil fruit might change one's body, but not the mind. For ten years, Ace and Sabo had been _human_ boys, but now they were different. Ace was no longer human, he was fire. Every lick of warmth and every whip of flame was _him_. His normal appearance, his default look with raven hair and silver coin eyes, was still fire. He could expand himself to be larger than even the Tiger Lord or smaller than a blade of grass because as long as there was heat-warmth-fire-flame-burn-hot-scorch then he was there. Sadly, his mind didn't quite understand this, at first.

Sabo, on the other hand, was now both _boy_ and _dragon_. Sometimes, he was a simple boy as normal as anyone else, some of the time he was a fierce dragon that could easily crush the ancient trees on Goa or small and slender like a simple serpent, and some of the time he was a mixture of the two. His scaled form had the ability to range in size, to grow and shrink at whim. So, when he was not a boy and not a mixture, he was usually the size of a snake and wrapped around one of his brothers. A third of the time he was part-dragon-part-human and therefore not completely one or the other but something else entirely. Unlike Ace and Luffy having to relearn their own bodies, Sabo had a separate mind altogether housing within him. When he was a dragon, this mind woke up and when he was a mixture, it kept itself aware. Sabo was just thankful that this 'dragon' inside of him carried no will to overtake him. In fact, from what he could gleam from the second conscious residing in him, it found the three brothers amusing and gave Sabo advice when needed.

That being said, he was absolutely no help when it came to the power over air currents he now possessed.

It took a lot of research and prodding at his dragon to discover that he was a mythical zoan and wasn't _that_ a shock. Not only could he transform into a dragon at will, but now he had the ability to control the wind!

If only his dragon would be a little better at teaching him how to do so.

Meanwhile with Luffy, ever since his two elder brothers had eaten their devil fruits and learned of the hardships that came with being a user, he'd been able to receive all sorts of help from them! Now, that didn't mean Ace could suddenly tell him how far he could stretch or Sabo could tell him what moves he could possibly do, no. They helped by learning control right beside of him. As such, his aim problems were almost a thing of the past. Learning alongside Ace who wanted to aim fireballs or Sabo who wanted to throw compressed balls of air helped him figure out his own problems and solve them. He'd even got a great idea from Sabo's dragon form for a new move!

And that was only what they had accomplished with their devil fruits.

After Garp had made a random drop-in once more and found that not one but all _three_ of his grandsons were devil fruit users, he was a hair's breath away from shipping them all to a marine base for training, but something made him stop. Some voice in the back of his head that he rarely listened to told him that to train them on Dawn Island would be better than taking them to a Marine base where their identities could be found out. Usually he didn't listen to this little voice called _sense_ -or-something, but this time he did. So, he decided to train them and train them he did. Just because they were his sweet, adorable grandkids didn't mean that he held back on them, no! It just meant that he had to go all-out that much more to make them strong! Sure their new powers meant no more random swim tests, but he just thought of better improved ways to train both them and their fruits! After a while they could pretty well hold their own against him one on one. When they all three fought him together, though? Even he had a little trouble! Just what he would expect from his grandkids!

Garp also decided that they needed to learn something else while he trained them.

Haki.

It was ever observant Sabo who seemed to realize that Garp's hits all actually connected with Ace even though he was a logia. It was with much prodding and adorable puppy-looks that the ASL trio managed to pry basic haki training out of him. That "basic" training eventually turned into a full on class from Garp until he was sure they were above the average haki user.

They'd also got him to speak briefly about Conqueror's haki and they were all silent about what had happened the night of the Grey Terminal fire, about what Ace had done. Sabo had been told by Ace and Luffy who had been just as confused, but now they had an explanation. Sure, Sabo had to slap a hand over Luffy's mouth to keep him from piping up, but then he and Ace had explained to him that this was something to keep quiet about, to not speak of.

He'd agreed readily enough, but Ace and Sabo were still concerned.

Another change had been their relationship with each other.

They still loved each other, no doubt always would, but it was as if their feelings had grown, as if it had even been possible. Luffy gave them silly, childish kisses all the time. He bounce up to one of them and kiss them on the cheek or lips before giving one to the second brother. They'd blush furiously and laugh before giving light kisses of their own. It was all fun and games when it came to Luffy and his two older brothers knew it was because he was still so young. He was only 12, not even a teenager yet, while his two brothers were in the midst of their teen years.

They loved Luffy, yes, but they knew not to go any further than the playful pecks and loving cuddles. As for between the two, they kissed and cuddled, yes, but it was with a slowness that could be linked to exploration. They never went too far, just testing the waters, but they knew how they felt for each other, knew it in their very bones.

They loved each other and they loved each other so dearly that they could never spare a thought like that for someone else.

And while the three grew in different ways, the Grey Terminal rebuilt itself.

The constant supply of trash from the nobles of Goa served as a foundation atop the ashes of the charred memories. People flocked back to the trash like a moth to a flame, as if nothing bad had ever happened. They built homes, lives, some even had families. All the while, the nobles dwelling beyond the wall spared not a thought or care for them, believing that such physical dirt would taint them beyond hope. What they did not know or perhaps didn't care was that their hearts were already stained black with all the filth they had compiled.

The ASL brothers rarely went to the Grey Terminal or to Goa anymore. They were disgusted by what the nobles had done, how they could destroy so many lives without a single care. It was despicable and they felt disgusted when they went. That is to say, they still visited every now and then. Sometimes they would need something that could be found in the heaping piles of garbage outside of the wall. Other times they felt the need to dine n' dash from a restaurant. Their trips never lasted long, and they always felt upset at what they saw there.

People at the Grey Terminal and snobbish nobles in Goa. It was as if the fire had changed nothing.

Then, one evening while walking the streets of Goa with their pockets stuffed and their stomachs full, they saw something that made their souls chill.

-o-

A newspaper fluttered by and Ace grabbed it knowing that Sabo liked to keep up with what was happening in the world beyond the jungle. He briefly looked at the headlines and stopped.

'Celestial Dragon returns to Goa'

He passed it to Sabo who could read the fastest unlike the slow reading Ace and Luffy who couldn't read at all. A frown proceeded to deepen as Sabo quickly read, his brow furrowing and anger visible.

"It says… it says that another Tenryuubito is going to visit sometime next week," he looked up at his brothers disgust marring his face, "It says that there is going to be another 'cleansing.'"

It did not take a genius to figure out what it meant by 'cleansing.' Even Luffy's face darkened at the words.

"What are we gonna do? We can't let something like that happen again!" Ace demanded, his scowl darkening his face that had been bright with a smile moments before.

"I don't like meanie dragons!" Luffy exclaimed, his frown digging into his cheeks.

"None of us like them, Lu," Sabo replied, his top hat hiding part of his face, "So, I guess we'll just have to show them what happens when they do things we don't like."

"What have you got in mind?" Ace questioned, his demeanor almost sinister. Sabo smiled at him and Luffy.

"Come on, I'll tell you."

-o-

It was evening, two days before the Celestial Dragon was to arrive, and three boys were hidden behind the tree line of the jungle overlooking the Grey Terminal. They had already stopped the hired vagrants who'd been sneaking around to hide the explosives. They'd been easy, no more than specks of dust compared to what the three boys could do. They'd stolen the explosives and hidden them throughout the city. They knew that city and all of its shadows, all of the overlooked corners and hidden nooks. They'd been sneaking around so long that their skills in stealth often surpassed the expert thieves in the area.

The bombs had all been placed and they were waiting for their cue.

The three had spent the entirety of the week training themselves harder than before. They had to be ready for this, prepared to show the nobles of Goa just what happened when you tried to take the lives of others into your own hands without a care for the consequences. They had fought diligently while going over the plan again and again. They had to get it right.

Sabo had been the one who did the majority of the planning, but Ace and Luffy had done their fair share, too. It had also been Luffy's idea to dress for the occasion.

The rubber boy wore a black vest, dark grey patterns flowing over the fabric and to the single gold button that held it together. Underneath that was a deep red button up that lacked a tie. Luffy hadn't like the way it constricted his neck so his elder brothers had relented and let him go without. His pants were black slacks and his shoes following suit. Resting on his shoulders, though, was a blood red coat, just like a pirate captain would wear. Atop his head and resting on a nest of mussed, raven locks was his straw hat.

Ace's vest was dark red, nearly black, with lighter orange swirls that almost looked like flames. His button up was black and shiny, his red tie standing out. He'd taken his black jacket off, he felt like it was holding him back, and it hung over his shoulder while his sleeves were rolled up to the elbows.

Sabo had a blue vest, navy and with a delicate gold pattern. He'd been delighted when he saw it and how similar it was to his dragon form. It had been a no brainer to purchase it, though by purchase he meant steal it from the vendor. His button up was white, though. It was silky and had a shine to it. He'd also kept his ruffles instead of a tie. He had his jacket on, though, just not buttoned up.

All three of them looked slick, dangerous. There was an air that seemed to gather around them that demanded respect and promised pain if they did not receive it. The shadows of the setting sun only enhanced this, making them look darker, sinister. They did not try to dispel this air. They wanted it, wanted the nobles to gawk at them and take nervous steps back at the sight of the three brothers.

A loud explosion split the air and the city beyond the wall glowed with fire.

That was their cue.

They started walking towards the gate that separated Goa from the Grey Terminal, smoke billowing in greys and black from just beyond. The closer they got, the more they could hear the shouts and screams, the terror radiating from the other side.

The nobles hadn't expected anything, nothing at all. They had hired a group of hands for hire to set the bombs around the terminal. They had lounged and laughed the days away and when the night finally came, they set them off. They never expected the explosives to be moved to the city, to bide their times until the moment the nobles set them off and unwittingly set their city ablaze.

While they scrambled around in panic, the guard was at least trained enough to know that they should open the gates to let the nobles leave and decrease the chance of casualty. Several of the guards rushed to the controls of the gate, tripping over themselves to open the door to freedom.

The gate scraped against the scattered debris of the explosions, creaking at the weight of such heavy stone. The crowd that had gathered, eager to escape, began to rush towards the small yet ever growing opening of the door.

They did not go far before they stopped.

On the other side of the gate stood three boys, facing the mob with calculated expressions. They were dressed to impress, their clothes flawless and no doubt expensive, looking towards the nobles with neutral expressions. In truth, they looked like a trio of noble children.

They were not.

The crowd made to rush by them only for the elder raven to make a wall of fire, an inferno that reached up and up with no signs of ever stopping. The nobles were trapped and they felt so weak, so helpless. Behind them was the rubble of their city set aflame and before them stood a wall of fire that they had no hopes of passing. They were trapped between a rock and a hard place and it would no doubt not end well for them.

"This is your punishment," all eyes went to the blond in the top hat that had spoken, "If you think you can take innocent lives so freely and escape any consequences, you are wrong. We are here to prove that."

"It's bad enough that you did it once, but twice?!" the one who had made the fire growled at them and the crowd shivered.

"We don't like stupid people like you," that was the youngest one, his words childish but when coupled with the shadowed look he was giving them made them all take an anxious step back. To say they were nervous, scared, terrified would be an understatement. The adrenaline that had spiked when the explosions had gone off was causing their hearts to beat faster and faster, their minds running on a loop to the rhythm of their heartbeats.

What would they do? They may look like kids but there no doubt that they were much _much_ stronger than they appeared. Would they burn them to a crisp? Would them trap them in the city and let their deaths be drawn out? What would they do? What would they do?

"But," it was the blond again, "We aren't like you. We don't kill."

With that, the wall of fire before them extinguished, a charred line on the ground the only evidence it ever even existed. The crowd did not waste time on a response and high tailed it out of there, never pausing to look back until they were far away from the ruined city.

Those that were still within the once _great_ kingdom of Goa were witness to what the three did after facing the crowd. The three walked on, into the fiery streets where heat encompassed all and ash rained from the sky as buildings cracked and crumbled and smoke wafted on the wind. They paid these no mind, the flames even going so far as to part for them whenever a river of fire crossed the street.

They walked on, not sparing a stony glance towards the people struggling to escape the scorching heat. They did not pay heed to the screams or merciful begging or even the thundering crashes as buildings toppled and houses crashed. They walked on, not once stopping and not once turning back. No one got in their way, no one addressed them. The very air around them was a cold relief from the hot, dry air everywhere else. This freezing aura, the unnatural cold that left the ashen nobles quaking and trembling with fear even in the midst of such an inferno, spoke of deadly promises and killer threats to those that opposed them.

When they reached the second gate, a grand thing of flimsy wood that marked the border between nobility and royalty, they paused. This was an obstacle that _dared_ stand in their way. It had the nerve to block their entrance and they were going to show it just _why_ doing so was a horrid idea.

The youngest stepped forward, bringing his thumb to his mouth and biting harshly, those nearby stopped in wonder as his fist grew two, three, four, five-six they couldn't even count how big it got! It grew until it rivaled the fist of a giant! Once it seemed to be large enough to suit his tastes, he drew it back in a punching position, waiting only a split second before launching it forward, the frail wood of the gate practically disintegrating upon impact.

Those that had been on the other side had not been warned and were struck dumb at the sight of the gate splintering into nothingness via the fist of a giant connected to a small boy. The three continued on, not stopping to survey what all damage they had dealt. The nobles and royals scattered around the court yard fled at their sight. They were confused, yes, but these were predators and if they did not move they would become prey.

The brothers had purposefully left the palace free of any explosives. They had wanted to face the king himself and show him exactly how weak he was. They strolled through the court yard and its manicured grass, past the grandiose doors to the palace, and into the throne room.

There was only a slight hum of noise when they entered and it died upon arrival.

The throne room was large, its hall wide and its ceiling seeming to reach the sky. Tapestries in a rainbow of colors hung on the walls and the marble was shiny, cleared of any speck of dust or dirt. Up a few steps and sitting on a platform was a throne and sitting upon the throne was the king, a fat, ugly man who dressed himself in finery to hide his flaws. His face was red and his orange beard was grey with age. Atop his head was a fine crown, golden with gems and jewels the size of his meaty fist.

He frowned deeply when they entered, his beady, black eyes narrowing at them. There were others strewn about the room, no doubt advisors or messengers bringing reports about the damage done. Other more important nobles had come to take refuge in the safest part of the kingdom.

It was not safe anymore.

"What are three brats doing in my hall?" his gravelly voice echoed off the marble walls, giving it the illusion of a commanding tone.

Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were silent as they stepped forward. With them came a blistering heat and numbing chill swirled together so seamlessly that it burned cold and froze hot. Everyone stepped back without knowing what they were doing, it was instinctual to move away from such predatory figures. They were the smart ones.

The king was not smart.

"You insolent fools!" he spat, "Throw these pests in the dungeon!"

The guards did not respond, frozen in fear.

The brothers walked forward until they were standing at the bottom of the steps, Luffy in the middle and Ace and Sabo flanking him. Their eyes were shadowed and Luffy looked up at him from under his hat.

"Stupid people like you make us mad," he said and the king turned livid at the insult, "We hate it when stupid nobles think they control everything. Stupid nobles are useless!" his exclamation carried around the hall like the king's did, but his tone carried an actual weight behind it, "Since stupid nobles think that they control everything, we've gotta show them just what happens."

When he was finished, Sabo morphed into his dragon form, dragging the transformation out so people could see just what was happening. Ace let loose his fire, concentrating on giving it shape. He'd figured out over the years that if he concentrated hard enough, he could control the shape of his fire. It also helped if he had the actual object he was trying to form within his sight. It just so happened that his brother was a dragon. His fire rose up behind him, imitating the size of Sabo who was easily large enough to rival a baby sea king.

With two dragons behind him, Luffy looked all the more powerful. His shadowed eyes never left the king's as the fat oaf finally realized that these were not some _brats_ he was messing with. They were not _pests_ to be tossed around. These were kings, these were _conquerors_.

As if their minds were connected, Sabo and Ace set off attacking the palace, going for the columns and weak points Sabo had mapped out and drilled into their brains. With two dragons on the loose, people quickly fled, no one stopping to help the powerless king who had clumsily stood up and was helplessly hobbling towards a door.

Luffy stopped him.

He punched him, a weak thing considering he didn't use haki and he'd used the bare minimum of his force.

It was enough to send him flying into the wall, the wall crumbling with a hole where the king had hit. He lay among the rubble moaning in pain and he rolled about. It was pitiful how weak he was, how helpless and powerless a king like him was.

Luffy walked towards him, the king attempting to scramble away, and placed a foot on his large stomach, effectively holding him in place. The king's eyes were wide with fear as he looked at the neutral, almost bored, expression of Luffy's.

"Remember this, stupid head. You are weak and if you wanna act like you're powerful and strong, you've gotta actually be powerful and strong," his eyes narrowed and the king felt his blood freeze, "If this happens again, we'll be back."

With that, he kicked the king in the side and he rolled several feet before stopping in a motionless heap. Luffy turned back towards his brothers, fully intent on joining the fun of wrecking Goa kingdom. All that was left of their plan was to destroy the city as much as possible and a smile finally graced the rubber boy's face at the thought of how much fun it would be.

The kingdom of Goa would fall and they would enjoy every moment spent destroying it.

 **And that's a wrap!**

 **Please tell me what you thought or if you have any questions. I'd be happy to answer :D**

 **Well, see you next week!**


	4. The Beginning of Not-Piracy

**I DO NOT own One Piece, though that would be epic.**

 **Here is another update to begin the 'actual plot' of the story. Hope you enjoy!**

Laughter rang throughout the forest as Ace, Sabo, and Luffy, their clothing stained with ashes, ran towards the tree house.

They had wrecked the city so completely that it was now more similar to Grey Terminal than an actual town. Fire had swarmed the rubble thanks to Ace and scalding steam had spread over the ruins via Sabo. They had found that, while not being able to breathe fire, Sabo's dragon form had the ability to control the air. Wind was easy to control and he was also able to decrease the temperature to freezing or increase it to sweltering. Luffy, meanwhile, had bounded from place to place, a demon with a menacing smile on his face who left destruction in his wake.

After a while, they had even made a game of who could destroy more or who could destroy better. Of course, Ace won most competitions with Sabo coming in second and Luffy securing last, but they weren't keeping score. They were having too much fun, enjoying the absolute destruction of the kingdom to care about a petty competition.

They had left when the city had been smashed and crumbled to dirt, nothing interesting to do anymore. They had sprinted away with the wind, there one moment and gone the next. No doubt people were curious and, while perfectly happy with destroying their homes, the ASL brothers would not kill.

Running through the woods, they giggled and guffawed at the little snippets of stories they told.

"So you-ha you stood on his-haha stomach?" Sabo laughed, tears threatening to stream from his face. His brothers were no better.

"Yea! Shishishishi! He looked like an idiot!" Luffy giggled from beside him.

"Of course he was an idiot! He was the king of Goa! All the nobles are bakas!" Ace was smiling while he talked, jumping over tree roots and ducking under branches.

"It must have been-ha been his crown! Something that heavy no doubt stunted his brain growth!" Sabo chuckled, running beside him.

"Well, he won't have to worry about that anymore," Ace's smile slid into a smirk. At Sabo's confused look, he pulled the many gems and jewels out of his pocket, the same priceless trinkets that once adorned the king's crown.

"We're rich! We're rich!" Sabo shouted to the world, his hands in the air as the tree house grew nearer.

"Shishishishi! Ace and Sabo are funny!" Luffy's hands covered his mouth before he stretched his arm to climb the ladder up to the tree house.

They did not stop to rest once they were within the tree house. They scrambled around to gather their pre-packed bags and any last minute items they had forgotten. Sabo grabbed the two notes he'd written while Ace went after the stash of gold they had hidden. Luffy, meanwhile, gathered the pirate flag he and his brothers had made and any other miscellaneous items strewn about.

They were leaving.

They had promised that they would be pirates when they were seventeen and since two of them were fifteen and one was twelve they couldn't be pirates just yet. That being said, the main hot spot for pirates was the Grand Line, not the Blues. If the three of them just sailed around the four Blues being not-quite-pirates, then they wouldn't be breaking their promise. Besides, no doubt the people of what was once Goa would be out for their blood. It wouldn't be safe for them on Dawn Island anymore.

Once everything was packed up, the three grabbed their respective bags and took off towards Dadan's country. The bandit nest wasn't too far from the tree house and they were quiet as they snuck into the decrepit house to leave the note. They were just thankful that Luffy had been able to stay silent that long. Then, once back outside, they hurried to Fuusha village, walking the dusty streets as they made their way to Makino's Party Bar to leave their second note.

Then they hopped into a little boat they had cough cough bought cough cough. It wasn't small, but it wasn't anything compared to a caravel. It had one room and they planned to use that for sleeping and storage. They threw aboard their bags before climbing on themselves, checking to make sure their supplies they had packed prior to destroying Goa was still there, and pushing off from the docks, from Fuusha village, from Dawn Island, from the only home they had ever known.

Their adventure was just beginning and their smiles couldn't get any brighter.

-o-

"Aaaaacccccceeeeee! I'm huuuuuuuuuuuungryyyyyy!" Luffy whined, sprawled out where he lay.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Ace grumbled, feeling famished himself. They hadn't thought about how much food they would need and they certainly hadn't brought enough. All that stretched around them was the mystic blue of the ocean, an eternal desert of water with no oasis of land in sight.

"Hhhhhuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnggggggggrrrrrryyyyyyyyyyy!" Luffy moaned pitifully and Ace gathered enough strength to whack him on the head.

"Baka! Just because you say it louder doesn't mean we'll be able to do anything about it!" he scowled, hating himself just a little that his youngest was hungry and he wasn't able to do anything about it.

"D4mn, if only I could figure out where we are!" Sabo ran his fingers through his blond hair, his face portraying his frustration as he looked at the map. They had been out at sea for only a few days, but Sabo had forgotten to pay attention to where they were headed, underestimating how much dodging the whirlpool had thrown them off. Now, he had no idea where they had strayed and wouldn't until they found land. Stars were great, but they couldn't tell him how close he was to an island.

"Not Sabo's fault," Luffy pitifully mumbled, his fingers absently picking the stray hairs and pieces of dirt off of his straw hat. They lapsed into silence, too weak from hunger to really do much but lay around and hope that an island made an appearance soon.

The sun crossed the sky on its ever so slow course until it dipped towards the horizon. The sky started to dye itself orange and pink, reds high-lighting the sky while purples streaked through the clouds. The ocean reflected the scene, crimsons and burnt oranges splashing on the waves while the sun fell towards the horizon. It was pretty, no it was breath taking.

"Wait… I think… I think I see something… Is that… Is that a boat?!" Ace piped up from where he had been sitting on the roof of the single room. He'd been staring at sun set and all its glory when he'd spotted a speck in the distance had had steadily revealed itself to be a boat. He couldn't tell much from how far away they were, but it was white.

"A boat?" Sabo grabbed the telescope he'd found for Luffy and looked through it in the direction Ace was eagerly pointing.

"Yay! A boat! A boat!" Luffy himself didn't understand why they were so happy to find a boat, but any reason to be happy was cause to celebrate.

"It looks like… a fish?" Sabo sounded unsure of himself even as he said the words.

"Yay! Meat!" Luffy laughed loudly, stretching up to where Ace was to see the distant speck better.

"No, I'm sure that's a boat! It isn't moving like any fish I've ever seen!" Ace defended. He was certain that it was a boat. A fish would have dived back down by then.

"It is a boat," Luffy deflated, "It just looks like a fish!" Sabo shouted, obvious glee in his voice. If there was a boat, then that meant they could finally figure out where they were and get food, even if they had to beat them up to do so!

"So it's a mystery ship?" Luffy's head tilted confusedly to the side, his eyes wide and looking to his brother for a response.

"Yeah, Lu, it's a mystery ship," Ace fondly ruffled his hair, receiving a squawk in return and Luffy half-heartedly tried to stop him.

With the promise of food on the horizon, they all felt giddy. Soon, Ace tackled Luffy off the roof and to the deck of the ship. Then suddenly Sabo joined in and before long, they were a tangle of flailing limbs and snickering bodies. They rolled and tumbled, the ship rocking at the shifting weight. The water splashed and within a few moments, they were panting with wet hair and the remnants of laughter on their lips, still sprawled on the deck together and watching the stars start to light the night.

"I never wanna leave you two," it was Ace who spoke up, but none of them looked away from the sky. This was a discussion that did not require eye contact to retain the seriousness it carried.

"Then don't," Sabo's calm voice drifted over them, "Let's stay together. We all promised to be pirates, so why not together?"

"Un! I'll be captain!" Luffy cheered, a giggle escaping him.

"You baka! You can't be-" Ace suddenly paused, his eyes wide as he a revelation washed over him. Why couldn't Luffy be captain? "You know what? Maybe you can be captain."

"Ace?" Sabo's tone was questioning yet his eyes remained on the twinkling lights above as Luffy cheered.

"Think about it, Sabo. Neither one of us really wants to be captain. I want my name to be known, to have proof that I existed and was great. You wanna write about your adventures and stop the stupid nobles. Luffy is the only one who really wants to be captain, so why not?" Neither of his brothers commented on how odd it was for Ace to have a reasonable idea for once. Luffy wouldn't have understood and Sabo was too busy pondering his words.

"Maybe you're right…" Sabo mumbled, just loud enough for the two ravens to hear.

"Shishishshi! I'll be captain and Sabo and Ace will be vice captains!" Luffy stuck his splayed hand out towards the stars, almost as if he was reaching for them.

"Yeah, we'll always be there, Lu!" Ace wore a smirk as he stretched out his own hand, reaching for the twinkling stars alongside Luffy.

"We'll still have all the older brother privileges, too!" Sabo chuckled, his own hand joining them. With their hands all out stretched, grasping at the edges of the heavens, three stars flew across the sky, their descent swift yet they shone brighter than all the other glistening lights above.

 **That's a wrap.**

 **Hopefully, everyone liked it! If you want, reviews are awesome and if you find any errors or anything, tell me an I'll fix them.**

 **Goodbye for now! :D**


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